Can a computer predict if a song will become a hit? Can algorithms model the incredibly complex neural fireworks in the brain that determine if a sequence of sounds evokes pleasure?
Montreal's Hitlab.com, half social network for aspiring musicians, half Candian/American Idol showcase, thinks so. And they have music industry muscle behind it.
At first glace the website looks unremarkable: people create profiles, upload videos and songs, and make online friends. Ho-hum. But on the top navbar you see a link called "Analyze." This is where you run your song through the site's patented AI, which tells you how likely it is to be a hit track.
The software, called Dynamic Hit Scoring (DHS), compares the qualities of the song to the top Billboard hits of the last six years. It measures 84 variables, such as rhythm, vocal timbre, frequency range, and chord progressions.
How accurate is it? Founder Tomas Gauthier runs new albums through the DHS regularly. He said the the top scoring songs are also the most popular tracks on iTunes 70-80% of the time.
Apparently, making hit songs is that formulaic.
Every three months, the artists with the top four rated songs are invited to a talent showcase. Gauthier knows that computers alone shouldn't decide who will be famous. So another four members, ranked by user votes, are also invited. There they perform before a panel of industry honchos. Three our four of them sign deals with agents, managers or even ink album deals. And they help these aspiring pop stars tune their songs to score higher on the DHS.
CEO Eddie Wenrick, a former exec of Columbia and Epic Records (both Sony labels) calls it a "baseball farm team before they go on to the major league."
He added: "We want to be the destination where labels come and say, 'Man, look a what Hitlab has this week'."
The startup, funded on angel money, will be making a big promotional push next week. Expect to see banner ads all over MySpace and elsewhere. They also signed R&B star Akon to plug the site at every opportunity (he's one of the panel judges). The site's logo and URL is already features in his video I'm so Paid.
Its offices, staffed with five permanent programmers and designers, sits atop the Fly Musique studio in the Plateau Mont Royal. This is where some of Hitlab's featured Quebec talent, like Saschali and Pamela, started out.
The idea for the startup began when Gauthier, son of a tech entrepreneur and nephew of Quebec composer Germain Gauthier, wondered if he could use his dad's AI (used in medicine, mining, and finance) for music. Through investors he met Wenrick, who uses his vast connections in the music business to promote the service.
While the talent showcases currently take place in Montreal, the company plans to move them around in major North American cities, including Nashville, for country aspirants.
I understand little about the music business so I'll hold off on the mandatory blog opinion, with one exception: I think this is a bold and fascinating experiment, and look forward to seeing how Hitlab will succeed.